Children's Home run by Prime Adolescence Limited in Barnsley

Inspection report children’s home: 2516658 1 Registered provider: Prime Adolescence Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private provider. It is registered to provider care and accommodation for one child or young person who may have social and/or emotional difficulties. The suitably qualified manager registered with Ofsted in 2019.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected, and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

N/A Inspection report children’s home: 2516658 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

This is the home’s first inspection since registration. The progress made by the child in this home is poor. He does not feel invested in the home and has not been supported to build trusting relationships with members of staff. Members of staff do not positively influence the child. Although individual members of staff want to provide a good level of care, the child’s experiences are limited. The staff team has not helped him to feel settled and he is unhappy in his surroundings. Children and young people placed in this home previously had similar experiences. Children and young people have moved into this home in an emergency. This is in line with the statement of purpose. However, there is not enough consideration as to whether the staff team has the skills and knowledge to meet the children’s and young people’s needs. As a result, members of staff have been unable to care effectively for children and young people who have complex histories.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Members of staff have not helped the child to make progress with his education. They do not ensure that he is available to work with his tutor. The registered manager does not effectively challenge the education provider when the tutor is not available. As a result, the child is missing important learning and social opportunities. This also affects his sense of self-worth and confidence. The child in the home has attended some health appointments. However, he has not been helped to stop smoking and has not had effective advice about the harm from substance misuse. The home’s statement of purpose indicates that members of staff will provide therapeutic care. Staff have had no training to provide therapeutic care and the child’s needs have not been met. This is a significant impediment to him making sustained progress. The child’s bedroom is sparsely furnished and not personalised. The quality of the available furnishing is acceptable. However, this room does not give the child a message

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

that he is valued. Repairs are not carried out quickly enough throughout the home and it does not look well maintained. This reinforces the message to the child that he is not held in high esteem by his carers. Members of staff cannot encourage the child to engage in activities in or out of the home. He spends long periods alone in his room or out of the home. The limited activities on offer are often withdrawn as a form of behaviour management. As a result, the child misses out on pastimes that would stimulate and enrich his experiences. Effective consultation with the child is limited. The child requested items for his room and presents for Christmas that were not provided. If there was a good reason, he was not told. This adds to his feeling that he is not valued. He does not suggest activities or items for the menu. The child does not feel empowered to take an active role in decision-making in the home. This does not help him to feel that this is his home and it

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

reduces the likelihood that he will invest in the care provided. Inspection report children’s home: 2516658 3

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

The child is at risk of exploitation, substance misuse and is regularly missing. Members of staff do not understand the level of risk that the child faces. The child does not accept what his carers tell him about the risks he faces because he does not have trusting relationships with them. As a result, staff members cannot effectively help the child to become safer. In particular, his risks from exploitation grow rather than reduce. Members of staff do not understand the level of risk posed by the child smoking in his bedroom. He has set fire to paper on occasion. There has been no work with him to help him understand these risks. Members of staff have not asked the fire service to work with the child as they feel he will not engage. As a result of this lack of action by the staff team, the child is at risk of serious harm. Members of staff have undertaken very little training to help and protect the child.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Behaviour management training was not provided until the home had been open for more than three months. Members of staff have had no training on exploitation or substance misuse. This means that members of staff have had to cope with very difficult issues without the skills required to help the child. This significantly increases the level of risk which the child faces. The staff team cannot effectively manage the child’s behaviour. Behaviour management strategies are not consistently applied. Although the home has an incentive programme, it is financially based. This does not interest the child. As a result, when his behaviour becomes more challenging, members of staff have few resources on which to draw. The child is learning that he can be verbally and physically aggressive with impunity. When the child is missing, members of staff follow the home’s procedures, including going out to look for him. These and other incidents are recorded in detail. All relevant

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers do not know the legislative framework within which the home operates. This means that they cannot evaluate effectively when practice falls below required levels. They do not know when they must develop an improved level of care for the child. Leaders and managers have not undertaken continuing professional development. This means that their understanding of their roles is limited. This child and those who lived in the home before have received poor levels of care as a result. Leaders and managers do not prioritise training for the staff team. No training was provided until the home had been open for more than three months. Not all members of staff have completed the minimal training that has been made available. Given that many of the staff have limited experience of working in children’s homes, this is a significant gap. As a result, members of staff cannot effectively recognise and meet the

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

complex needs of the child. Inspection report children’s home: 2516658 4 Documentation does not always comply with regulation. The statement of purpose is not accurate regarding the previous experience of some staff. Models of care are included that are not used in the home. This means that referrals to the home are made on the basis of incorrect information. Staff do not have the skills required to meet the needs of children and young people who have been inappropriately placed. The reports of the independent visitor do not meet regulation. On occasion, they have been received late. There is no consent for the independent visitor to read children’s case records. Because leaders and managers do not understand the regulation, they have not addressed this poor practice. Leaders and managers do not effectively challenge professionals. They do not escalate concerns when requests are not met. The same action is repeated, even when this is

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

ineffective. Leaders and managers state that the fault for poor provision lies elsewhere. This means that the child does not get an improved service, for example in respect of his education. Members of staff are not learning about their responsibilities, including that they must act as a responsible parent would. Monitoring and review systems are not used successfully. Although data is gathered about the child, there is little analysis of what this means. For example, there has been no consideration of the impact on the child of him increasingly being missing from home. As a result, leaders and managers do not take timely action to improve the care provided to the child. Recruitment practices are not in line with regulation. Leaders and managers do not understand safe recruitment practice. This leaves children at risk from people who may wish to cause them harm. The induction for new members of staff is poor. Members of staff only read policies by

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

way of introduction to the home. There is no mandatory training to be completed before working with children. This means that staff are ill-equipped to work in the home. The care provided to children is compromised. Members of staff state that the registered manager is supportive. Supervision takes place regularly. Poor performance is addressed swiftly. Members of staff value this approach. Inspection report children’s home: 2516658 5

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff— seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs; if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; and seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5

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Requirement Due date

(a)(b)(c) and (d)) In particular, challenge to professionals in respect of care planning, education and health needs must be effective. 28/03/2020

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on— mutual respect and trust; an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and positive responses to other children and adults. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans; 28/03/2020 Inspection report children’s home: 2516658 6 de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i) and (xi)) In particular, ensure that members of staff are provided with the skills to manage behaviour effectively. * The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that staff— assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; help each child to understand how to keep safe; have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii) and (iii)) In particular, ensure that staff understand risks associated with missing from home and fire setting in the home, and have the skills to keep children and young people safe. 28/03/2020

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Requirement Due date

* The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that— helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose; ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on— research and developments in relation to the ways in which the

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Requirement Due date

needs of children are best met. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(c)(f)(g) and (i)) 28/03/2020 Inspection report children’s home: 2516658 7 The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (‘the statement of purpose’) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. The registered person must— keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must ensure that the home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose. (Regulation 16 (1)(3)(a)(b) and (5) In particular, ensure that information in the statement of purpose contains accurate information about the experience of staff members and about any models of care used. 28/02/2020

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Requirement Due date

If the registered provider is an organisation, the organisation must ensure that the responsible individual undertakes such continuing professional development as is necessary to ensure that the responsible individual has the skills needed for supervising the management of the home. The registered manager must undertake such continuing professional development as is necessary to ensure that the registered manager has the skills needed for managing the home. (Regulation 29 (2) and (4) In particular, ensure that the registered provider and manager improve their knowledge of the legislation and guidance that underpins the running of a children’s home. 28/03/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. The requirements are that— the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform; full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1)(3)(b) and (d)) In particular, ensure that staff have the right skills and experience to meet the needs of children and young people. Schedule 2 states the provider must obtain: Two written references, including a reference from the person’s most recent employer, if any. 28/02/2020 Inspection report children’s home: 2516658 8 If a person has previously worked in a position involving work with children or vulnerable adults, verification so far as reasonably practicable of the reason why the employment or position ended.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month. When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person— if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires. The independent person must produce a report about a visit (‘the independent person’s report’) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether— children are effectively safeguarded; and the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. (Regulation 44 (1)(2)(a)(b)(4)(a) and (b)) In particular, ensure that reports contain a range of feedback to

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Requirement Due date

ensure that there is rigorous analysis of the care provided to children and young people. The consent of children and young people must be obtained before their case records are viewed. 28/02/2020

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and young people and their families. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the children’s home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. Inspection report children’s home: 2516658 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Prime Adolescence Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 12b Hall Street, Hoyland, Barnsley S74 9JR

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Inspector

Jane Titley, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2516658 10 achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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